Let me ask you a straight-up question about property rights.
Now Perry was in favor of the Taco highway, running from Mexico to all points north.
It’s my understanding that Perry dropped that goofy idea.
In your opinion, did he drop that doopey idea because of pressure from the citizens or because he realized it was a stupid idea?
I’m asking this to determine for myself on whether or not Perry is persuadable from the elected citizenry or he needs a lightning bolt from God on the road to Damascus.
Perry introduced the plan and tried to ramrod it through over something in the neighborhood of six years. While there did seem to be considerable initial support for the project, people and businesses licking their chops at the prospect of government big project funds, there also seemed to be considerable objections as well. In truth this didn’t bother some folks. They saw it as nothing more than a new highway system, although I don’t think they grasped the full scope of it. Again this didn’t sit well with some citizens on a number of issues. Big government project, land rights, implications of jobs moved to Mexico and beyond, contraband smuggling drugs/illegals. Perry couldn’t shake support for the idea until most of the
other stake-holders had jumped ship.
In fairness, ask a Perry supporter and you’ll get a rosy telling. While that is fair, I don’t think it’s unfair to mention that the Clintons always had a rosy telling for everything they did too.
There will be a grain of truth in what they say, but you’ll have to look around yourself and ultimately come to your own conclusion.
While driving my daughter back to begin a new semester at Baylor University, I received a call from the Governor's office requesting that I invite a group of my fellow Texas Conservative Coalition legislators to his office to meet with him and TXDOT leadership. The following week several of us met with Governor Perry and the TXDOT Commissioner and Executive Director to share the frustration and opposition of our constituents across the state to the TTC. After a lengthy meeting, Governor Perry did something that has made me respect him as I have no other leader which I have observed or served alongside. He sat back in his chair, gave our arguments thought and said, “Tell your constituents you talked to the Governor, and the Trans-Texas Corridor is no more.” To this day, the handful of legislators in attendance at that meeting have respected Rick Perry—a man who was confident, honest, and exhibited absolute integrity to his citizens. He often does not receive the proper recognition and credit he deserves for his decisive response to the will of Texas citizens against the TTC. When presented with their objections and opposition, he brought a halt to the ill-conceived TTC. This is in stark contrast to our current President who sees the destructive results of his policies and has no intention of admitting fault or changing course, but instead blames everyone else for his errors in judgment.
Most Conservative State Representative in Texas Endorses Rick Perry for President - Explains Trans-Texas Corridor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2772962/posts
Truth is, the TTC started as a expansion on the I-35 corridor. The plan was added to legislation by the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) as a new "branch" of highway that ran from south Texas to the north right through my district. TXDOT presented facts that upon the completion of the Panama Canal expansion many of the trading freighters, which currently only serve the West Coast, would be able to bring their cargo to Texas ports. It was anticipated that this would place a tremendous burden on the current highway system as it heads north. However, the flawed TXDOT presentation of the plan and threats to private land ownership were not handled well. Citizens throughout Texas were insulted by the methods of potential property seizure, foreign control of Texas properties and other abuses. It was wrong, and when presented with the will of Texas citizens, Governor Perry put a stop to it. While driving my daughter back to begin a new semester at Baylor University, I received a call from the Governor's office requesting that I invite a group of my fellow Texas Conservative Coalition legislators to his office to meet with him and TXDOT leadership. The following week several of us met with Governor Perry and the TXDOT Commissioner and Executive Director to share the frustration and opposition of our constituents across the state to the TTC.
After a lengthy meeting, Governor Perry did something that has made me respect him as I have no other leader which I have observed or served alongside. He sat back in his chair, gave our arguments thought and said, "Tell your constituents you talked to the Governor, and the Trans-Texas Corridor is no more." To this day, the handful of legislators in attendance at that meeting have respected Rick Perry--a man who was confident, honest, and exhibited absolute integrity to his citizens. He often does not receive the proper recognition and credit he deserves for his decisive response to the will of Texas citizens against the TTC. When presented with their objections and opposition, he brought a halt to the ill-conceived TTC.
This is in stark contrast to our current President who sees the destructive results of his policies and has no intention of admitting fault or changing course, but instead blames everyone else for his errors in judgment. From his action to end the TTC to his signature on legislation to protect the rights of coastal property owners struggling to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of a hurricane, Rick Perry has responded to Texan landowners' concerns about private property rights. I was one of those 125 landowners who faced a loss of property to be determined by a governmental agency's assessment of where grass grew before and after a hurricane. I applauded Governor Perry as he stood with the Texas House and Senate (and eventually the Texas Supreme Court) against some very vocal opposition to sign into law Rep. Hamilton's bill preventing a potential land grab by the state. In this past session, Governor Perry declared eminent domain reform legislation an emergency item and saw it all the way through the legislative process until he signed it into law, strengthening the rights and protections of private property owners across Texas. If ever there was a day we needed a leader in this country who does not place his pride and ego ahead of what is proven to be the will of the people and in their best interest...this is the day. A real leader who puts what is best for his citizens ahead of personal pride and opinions is what America needs.